Accounting apparatus



March 23, 1943. w. LEATHERS ET AL ACCOUNTING APPARATUS Filed April 26, 1940 Woo Patented Mar. 23, 1943 ACCOUNTING APPARATUS Ward Leathers, Brooklyn, and Archibald Gold,

New York, N. Y., assignors, by mesne assignmerits, Corporation to International Business Machines Application April 26, 1940, Serial No. 331,814

1 Claim.

This invention pertains to translating and recording apparatus for accounting use of the type wherein a predetermined figure corresponding to an initial figure or figures may automatically and substantially instantaneously be found and recorded. The apparatus is preferably electrically actuated in order to obtain high-speed of operation, and it is provided with electric coding and recording mechanism whereby the result may be recorded on a tape in the form of perforations.

The translating and recording apparatus comprising the present invention is primarily adapted for use in connection with that type of accounting where rates are extremely complex, as, for example, in public utility accounting where, to give a typical example, the monthly rate for kilowatt hours of electric current consumed may be as follows:

Minimum or fixed charge 50 First kWh. (d) 52 each Next 50 kWh. 4.8 each Next 100 kwh. 4.l each Additional kwh. 13 each Local tax .5 each Items such as these and various other items present a highly complex problem in charging for electric current. Similar complexity applies in many cases to gas rates but there are many other kinds of complex rates to which my apparatus is also adapted.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a translating and recording apparatus of the character set forth above which, in translating and. recording a result from a predetermined figure in a complex sliding-scale or progressive base rate, will receive the initial figure which, for example, may represent kilowatt hours of electricity consumed; translate this figure according to the particular sliding-scale base rate (which would be the amount charged for the kilowatt hours consumed) and record the resultant translation of the initial figure on a permanent record, the entire operation being carried out substantially instantaneously.

Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of this character in which, after the translation of the initial figure is made according to the base rate, the result may be recorded in terms of a predetermined code by a card or tape-perforating mechanism In carrying out the above-mentioned objects,

the invention briefly contemplates the provision ities by means of which the initial figure may be set up for translation and recording), which will receive the initial figure and, according to that figure, make a selection of a particular translating device from a relatively large assemblage or series thereof. Means is also provided whereby, after selection of the particular translating device has been made, the translating device may be set into operation and the translated figure (i. e., the original figure expressed in terms of its translated value) relayed to a coding device wherein the translated figure is, according to its component digits, again translated or transformed in terms of a predetermined code. Finally, the coding device, operating as an actuating mechanism for a code recording device, sets this latter mechanism into operation in such a manner that the original figure, thus translated and transformed according to the slidingscale base rate and predetermined code, respectively, is recorded in any suitable manner, as, for example, on a progressing tape by means of apertures or perforations.

Numerous other objects of the invention, not at this time enumerated, will become readily apparent to the nature of the invention is better understood.

In the accompanying single sheet of drawings, forming part of this application, one embodiment of the invention has been disclosed for illustrative purposes only. In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view showing one of a number of translating devices employed in connection with the present invention and its operative electrical association with a coding and a recording mechanism.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary plan view of a section of perforated tape illustrating an arbitrarily selected code that may be utilized in connection with the invention.

Referring, now to the drawing wherein one specific embodiment of the invention is shown, where calculations involving initial figures suiiiciently high a to require four digits for their expression are concerned and where the final complementary figures are to represent money, and a top limit of $999.99 is accommodated, five lished in, and returned by each of ten-thousand substantially identical electric translating devices, one of which is designated in its entirety at it. Each translating device l4 includes a contactor or group I2 having five pairs of spring contacts l6, these contacts providing for the closing of five separate electric circuits.v The ten contacts l6 of the five pair, together with their springs and other operatively associated elements (not shown), are similar to those common in telephone relays and the like.

In order that the proper contactor groups I2 may be selected and set into operation to actuate the respective translation device I4 of which it forms a part, it is necessary that the apparatus be actuated in a manner expressive of the figure set up. Toward this end, there is provided a more or less conventional keyboard-actuated selecting mechanism which may include a series of vertical rods 20having flexible spring fingers 22 capable of being moved into the path of movement of a series of actuating collars 26 mounted on horizontal rods 24. Selection of the proper rods 20 and 24 for cooperating movement by proper manipulation of a conventional mechanical type of keyboard (not shown) will cause selection of one of the contact groups I2 for circuit closing purposes by means of an actuating lug 23 carried on its respective spring finger 22.

Referring now to Figure 1 wherein one of the translating devices I4 is best illustrated, a group of conductor bars 34 are arranged in parallelism and may be ten in number, one corresponding to each of the ten digits or a lesser number where a code translation is made directly from the keyboard.

Five alternate spring contacts I6 are electrically joined to certain predetermined bars 34 by flexible conductors 35, the particular selected contacts being determined by the arbitrary sliding-scale base rate. The other alternate five spring contacts are electrically joined to a distributor 36 having a rotating brush 38. The brush 36 is driven by the motor M mounted on a common shaft 40. The motor M is adapted to be initially actuated by the starter key 30 and is then supplied with operating current through a pair of contacts 42 associated with a cycle release contactor wheel 44 mounted on the shaft 40 for the making of a full revolution or cycle of the distributor brush 38, whereby electrical impulses are applied to the bars 34 and circuits associated therewith through the contacts I6. A series of conductor bars 46 suitably disposed on a rotating drum 48 mounted on the shaft 40 close a circuit through a pair of spring brushes 50 to actuate certain tape advancing instrumentalities associated with the coding device which will presently be described. Five distributing contacts 52 on the distributor 36 at suitable time intervals transmit current through the contacts in the selected contactor group I2 to the conductor bars 34 to which they are joined by the flexible connectors 35, each bar representing one of ten digits (as indicated). The flexible connectors 35 or pigtails are provided with manually removable clips 39 which may be moved when desired for the purpose of setting up any new predetermined figure. For illustrative purposes, as shown in the diagram, the figure next to be translated by the selected contactor group I2 and ultimately coded and recorded is, specifically, $596.47. The ten selected circuits from the bars 34 are connected to a series of relays 54 in the form of solenoids, each relay arbitrarily being numbered 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, '7, 8, 9, 0, and the entire series constituting the coding device 32. The numbers on the relays 54 correspond with the number to be coded and ultimately recorded by a recording apparatus 60 as by printing or perforating on a tape 62 (Figure 2).

Various means of recording may be used, but, irrespective of the specific means employed, the

essential features of the invention are always preserved. In the present embodiment it is preferable to use the perforated tape 62 shown in Figure 2. Herein four series of aligned perforations 64 provide a simple code for figures only. A center series or row 66 of perforations is provided for drive purposes only, and the arbitrary code as selected corresponds to the circuits leading from the relays 54 to the recording devise as shown in Figure 1. As previously stated, the electromagnets or relays 54 comprise a Coding unit 32 for the purpose of actuating certain of a series of solenoids 68 which cooperate to make up the recording device 60.

The series of solenoids 68 includes solenoids I0, I2, I4 and I6 which have associated therewith means for producing on the tape 62 perforations or indicia in the various rows 64 according to the coded figures to be applied thereto. A solenoid I6 operates a ratchet device by means of which the tape 62 is intermittently advanced in step-bystep fashion and a solenoid 82 operates through suitable mechanism to furnish the series of driving perforations 66.

It will be seen from the above description that when a number representing, for example, consumed kilowatt hours is set up on the keys and the starter button 30 pressed, a figure, such as the $596.47, previously referred to, is recorded by a printing or perforating operation.

In the operation of the apparatus, selection of the particular contact group I2 which is expressive of the desired figure set-up is made by the selecting mechanism 20, 22, 24, 26. As previously described, a selected rod 20 is elevated in order to move the spring finger 22 carried thereby into the path of movement of one of the collars 26 mounted on the rods 24. Subsequent lateral shifting of a selected rod 24 will cause the lug 23 to be moved to the left, as shown in Fig. 1, so that the contacts I6 of the selected contact group I2 may be closed.

Upon depression of the starting key 30, the rotary mechanism shown at, the upper right hand portion of Fig. 1 is set into motion and the various numerical values for which the translation device I4 has been set are successively relayed to the coding device 32 by successive closing of the proper circuits.

Upon energization of the selected solenoids 54 of the coding device 32, the circuits associated therewith and controlled thereby are closed and thus energized from the source of current, whereupon the selected solenoild 10, I2, I4 and 16 are actuated and the punching devices controlled thereby are set into operation to perforate the tape 62 according to the code utilized and illustrated in Fig. 2.

The tape 62 is periodically advanced during the recording operation by virtue of the indexing solenoid I8, the circuit through which is automatically and periodically closed each time one of the solenoids 54 is energized. Proper spacing of the successive recordings on the tape 62 is effected by means of the contacts 50 which cooperate with the disc 48 in closing a circuit through the solenoid 18 at the proper time.

Tape perforation for driving purposes is accomplished by means of the solenoid 82, which is connected in parallel in the circuit with the solenoid 18.

It is not intended that this apparatus be actuated or operated exclusively by the manual key method. On the contrary, one of its specific and preferred uses is its incorporation into a system various changes in the details of construction may he resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, while in the specification and in the appended claim we have referred to vertical and horizontal operating rotis 2n and 26, respectively, it is obvious that if the panel upon which these members are mounted occupies a horizontal position, the vertical operating rocls will operate in a horizontal .plane. Duly insofar as the invention has been particu' iarl'y pointed out in the accompanying claim is the e to he limited.

What is claimed is: In an apparatus for producing perforated accounting anol statistical record, strips including a series of punches, a solenoid for each punch adapted when energized to operate the punch and cause the latter to perform a data punching operation, a plurality of normally open electrical circuits each operable upon being closed to energize one or more of said solenoids and cause operation of its or their respective punches, a plurality of individual, self -contained circuit-closing units each of which is adapted to be set up to represent precomputeol data which are to be, recorded. automatically by operation of said punches every time such unit is selected for circuit-closing purposes and each of which is adapted upon selection thereof to close a predetermined circuit or circuits in accordance with such precomputed data, said. circuit-closing units each comprising a contactor group having. a plurality of normally open pairs of contacts, means for arbitrarily selectively coupling each pair of contacts in a selected circuit, and means for selecting the circuitciosing groups and closing the contacts of the selected groups substantially simultaneously.

WARD LEATHERS. ARCHIBALD GOLD. 

